The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul….—Psalm 23:1–3 (NKJV)

I keep hearing about the importance of a morning routine—rituals repeated every morning to jump-start our days with disciplined focus that puts us on track for efficient use of our time. Many recommended routines go in order like this: time with Jesus, reading Scripture, and praying; quick exercise and stretching; followed by eating something nutritious for energy. 

Mine, in my empty nest home, usually goes more like this: I let the dog out and stumble into the kitchen to make coffee, then feed my demanding dog and the equally demanding cat, sip my first cup of coffee as I put away some kitchen clutter, wipe off the counters, and water the wilting plant on the windowsill. I quickly check text messages to be sure nothing drastic happened overnight or find out whether somebody needs something from me right then. 

It’s a routine I call fuddling, my made-up word that’s a combination of fiddling and muddling, which means putting things in order so they’re not a distraction. By the time I pour my second cup of coffee and sit down at the end of the kitchen counter, my perch where I talk to Jesus in the mornings, I’m ready. 

I reach for my Bible and open the computer to my Spiritual Reflections file where I journal my thoughts. My fuddling has been my early-morning physical and spiritual warm-up that prepares a place for me in the green pastures of my home, free from distractions, where the Shepherd restores my soul.